Snoring slows babies' learning ability

(NEWS.com.au) — CHILDREN as young as one are getting their tonsils removed to help them stop snoring, as research suggests the night-time behaviour can slow their learning.

The UniSA Centre for Sleep Research tested the motor and cognitive development skills of 450 Adelaide babies three times in their first year of life and found those who were frequent snorers did not perform as well at the ages of six months and one year.

Dr Mark Kohler, a researcher at the centre, said previous studies on snoring tended to focus on its potential impact on older children.

“The results are worrying because infancy is such a critical period of brain development,” he said.